NEIGHBOURS of the Duchy’s Great Field play area in Dorchester have been complaining about youngsters using the site in the evenings.

Locking equipment down at nightfall to stop it being used had been considered as a possible solution – along with installing CCTV cameras.

But Dorchester town councillors have been told that it appears the change in seasons has achieved the desired aim and the problems have now largely disappeared.

The town council, which manages the area, along with other parks and open spaces in the town, had been asked by residents in Dukes Parade to take action to ensure their evenings were not disturbed.

Meetings had been set up to talk about the issues but town councillors heard that with the onset of autumn the problems had largely abated.

Among the ideas which had been suggested as possible solutions was asking the council’s outdoor staff to lock up some of the equipment at night including the Queen’s Slide, and/or installing closed circuit TV cameras, both of which, it was believed would act as a deterrent to use of the area after dark.

Cllr Molly Rennie said some of the town’s youth workers had already been involved, visiting the Duchy of Cornwall site in the evenings and had pledged to take part in any meetings to find a resolution to the problems.

Complaints about the noisy youngsters had come from residents who argued that the difficulties were more than just teething problems with the play area following its official opening in May 2022 by Prince Charles, as he then was.

Minor problems with vandalism on the site were dealt with in the summer by Dorset police stepping up evening patrols for a short while.

The spectacular play area has been paid for by developer financial ‘contributions’ to a community fund. Many of the items of equipment on the site are reduced scale models of buildings which exist on the Poundbury development, including the Brownsword Hall and the Witch’s Hat, a feature on the top of a building just off Queen Mother Square.

Update - Poundbury Residents reported on Tuesday morning that there has been an upturn in anti-social behaviour in recent days.
The residents emailed newsletter say that Dorset Police are keen to know about any antisocial behaviour and asks residents to contact the force via their website https://www.dorset.police.uk/  should they have anything to report.